(א) מאימתי מזכירין גבורות גשמים. רבי אליעזר אומר, מיום טוב הראשון של חג. רבי יהושע אומר, מיום טוב האחרון של חג. אמר לו רבי יהושע. הואיל ואין הגשמים אלא סימן קללה בחג, למה מזכיר. אמר לו רבי אליעזר, אף אני לא אמרתי לשאול, אלא להזכיר משיב הרוח ומוריד הגשם בעונתו. אמר לו, אם כן, לעולם יהא מזכיר:
(1) From when do we begin to mention the power of [bringing] rain [in the Shemoneh Esrai], Rabbi Eliezer says, from the first day of the festival [Sukkot]. Rabbi Yehoshua says, from the last day of the festival [Sukkot]. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him [Rabbi Eliezer], since rain on the festival is nothing but a sign of a curse why should he mention it? Rabbi Eliezer said to him: I also did not say to request [rain] but to make mention, He causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall in its due season. He replied to him: if so one should at all times make mention of it.
מאימתי מזכירין גבורות גשמים- From when do we mention G-d's power through rain?
הואיל ואין הגשמים אלא סימן קללה בחג- since rain is nothing but an unfavorable sign on a festival
Summary of the mishna:
- Rabbi Eliezer says we should pray for rain starting on the first day of sukkot
- R. Joshua says we should pray for rain on the last day of sukkot
- R. Joshua says rain on a holiday is a curse, why mention it
- R. Eliezer says he isn't asking for rain just getting it into peoples' minds
(ד) הִגִּיעַ שִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר בְּמַרְחֶשְׁוָן וְלֹא יָרְדוּ גְשָׁמִים, הִתְחִילוּ הַיְחִידִים מִתְעַנִּין שָׁלשׁ תַּעֲנִיּוֹת. אוֹכְלִין וְשׁוֹתִין מִשֶּׁחֲשֵׁכָה, וּמֻתָּרִין בִּמְלָאכָה וּבִרְחִיצָה וּבְסִיכָה וּבִנְעִילַת הַסַּנְדָּל וּבְתַשְׁמִישׁ הַמִּטָּה:
(4) If the seventeenth of Mar-Cheshvan has come without the rain having yet descended, private individuals commence to keep three fast-days. On the night beforehand, they are allowed to eat and drink, and it is allowed [on the fast day itself] to work, to bathe, to anoint the body, to wear [leather] shoes, and to perform the marriage duty.
1. What do we do if rain has not fallen by the seventeenth of Mar-Cheshvan?
We fast for three days
2. What are we allowed to do, and what aren't we allowed to do?
Can: work, bathe, anoint body, wear leather shoes, marriage duty
Can't: eat drink during the day
3. What holiday(s) is this similar to? Why?
If we only ask for rain at certain times of the year, why do you think we mention it twice every day as part of the Shema?